Death – Reflection

Over the past few days, family and friends have asked me a few questions about death.  I would like to answer three of them below:

“What happens when we die?”

 From my limited understanding, I answer: “There are three planes of existence: the Physical; the Astral; and the Casual planes. In each of these the soul is encased in a body. At this present time, our souls are encased in a physical body. When the physical body “dies”, the soul then takes its place in an astral body, or a body of light.

The astral body bears similarity to the physical body; and so highly sensitive people (also known as psychics) are able to see the resemblance of our loved ones who have “passed away” and are now in their new form.

The astral plane is best described as a world of light, beauty and harmony. Soon, I will blog about the Astral plane and give and account of it as per the teachings of Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda.

 “Why must we reincarnate? If we all came from God, then, after death, why don’t we simply go back into Him?”

Paramhansa Yogananda answered this: “If our individuality were dissolved by death, we would do so indeed. But the ego forms the physical body. It is the cause, not the effect of physical birth.

The ego is an element of the astral body which is retained after physical death. The physical body is merely the ego’s projection into the material world.

“God cannot be attained by so simple an act as merely dying. To die is easy, but it is very difficult to attain that high level of consciousness in which the soul can merge back into Infinity.

“What indeed, would worldly people do if they found themselves confronted with such a possibility? What would they do in heaven? They would complain about everything and go on arguing and fighting amount themselves, just as they did on earth. And in the process, they’d only turn heaven itself into another kind of hell.

“After death, the basic tendencies of a person’s nature remain just what they were on earth. Al Capone, the gangster, didn’t suddenly become an angel by departing this plane of existence. Criminals retain their evil tendencies until they themselves work them out, perhaps after incarnations and after many hard lessons: until their avarice, for example, has been transformed into a desire to help others; their lawlessness into a desire to uphold the law; and their cruelty into kindness to all.

“What causes the ego to reincarnate?”

Paramhansa Yogananda again: “Desire. Desire directs energy. As long as a person desires the things of the earth, he must come back here, where his desires can be fulfilled.  If he longs for cigarettes, cars or money, the astral world can’t provide those things. He will have to return to earth where such things can be obtained”.

A disciple asked Yogananda: “Must every desire conceived on earth be fulfilled here also?”

Yogananda: “Not pure desires – not, for example, beautiful music or harmonious relationships. Such desires can be fulfilled better in the astral world than on this imperfect material plane.

In many cases, the desire to create beauty here on earth is due to the deeper- than- conscious memories of the beauty and harmony experiences in the astral world.

Death - Meditation

Miss me and let me go

When I come to the end of the road

and the sun has set for me,

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room

why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little, but not too long

and not with your head bowed low,

remember the love that we once shared,

Miss me and let me go.

For this is a journey that each must take,

and each must go alone,

it is all a step in the Master’s Plan,

a step on the road home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart,

go to the friends we know

and bury your sorrows in doing good

Miss me - but let me go

Death - Introduction

My beloved and dear grandfather, Adri, passed away last week.

In my life I have endured the deaths of a number people who have been active participants in my life and, who I have loved very, very dearly. And so - although juxtaposed to one other - Death has taught me much about Life itself.  

Over the last few days I have heard people say that “Death is a part of Life”. This is true. And true also, is that Life continues after Death. Through my faith, and spirituality, I am assured that death is not the end. It is merely the changing of form. This gives me great hope, comfort and reassurance.

There is much to do and many emotions still to face. The words of Kahlil Gibran sum up perfectly what I feel needs to be said today.

On Death - Kahlil Gibran

You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.


In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?


For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?


Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

Everyone Is a Genius

Einstein's quote reminds us to think twice before measuring ourselves and others against inappropriate standards.

Everyone has a different ability or particular "genius." Often, comparing ourselves to someone else's abilities might mean overlooking what it is that we are naturally more suited towards doing. In other words, stop being a fish-trying-to-climb-a-tree and embrace our own fishiness.

We are not all made to be theoretical physicists and so we should always aim for what we are good at, work hard for what we desire in our lives, and we must never beat ourselves up when we can't do everything perfectly….

I am often reminded that every person has something special about them, including the most difficult, impossible people that we may know. If we are able to find that something special, that genius, fishiness within them, and nurture it - rather than measure the person against inappropriate standards - we could make an enormous difference in the lives of those we meet and give each person the gift of embracing their own fishiness.  

If we embrace and nurture our own fishiness - and then the fishiness within others - we can change the face of the world, forever.